Greek Short Sword

[Johnny Shumate]

What do you folks know about Hoplites fighting with a short sword, almost a dagger about 12 inches long, during the Peloponnesian War? Nick Secunda in his title by Osprey, "The Ancient Greeks", touched on this subject. He said the Spartans started using this type of sword which quickly spread throughout Greece...
Johnny

[Comerus Gallus]

Also Duncan Head in # 16 Spartan Hoplite drawing, mention:

That, most spartans used a very short sword, virtually a dagger, shown on one relief with blade little more than a foot (30cm) or so long (16cm)-
allegedly because Spartans fought at such close quarters.

It was occasionally used outside Sparta, by mercenaries, and was popular with sword-swallowers. Another Spartan weapon was the xuele, apparently a ssickle-shape knife, but this was probably not used in battle, and seems to hada ritual significance.

[Anonymous]

It seems to be a widely-accepted notion. I have heard expressed the view that later Phalangites tended to have them as well.

[hoplite14gr]

Swords in the museums in Greece range from 25 to 75 cm.
The longer are Later Geometric-Archaic or ascociated with horsemen.
Spartans usully had the shorter versions and we have only one complaining to his mother about the size of his blade-not all of them :lol:
Swords sword is better in the crammed conditions of the phalanx.
In most city states sword training was an expensive private affair.
Spartans were all trained to use it. This is a factor about them being deadlier.
Kind regards

[Commilito]

Question asked to a Spartan king

"Why are your swords so small?"
"Because we fight closer to the enemy!"

[Anonymous]

There's a sculpture, from Falerii Veteres, in Italy, showing an Etruscan warrior in full Greek panoply using the sickle-shaped shortsword. Italy is different, of course - the sculpture shows thigh armour, as well and this was still in use there when the Greeks had discarded it ( according to Connolly). It resembles the Sica used by Thracian gladiators (Thraex types).

[TraderTrey9785]

Here is a link to a good representation of some of the Greek and Roman swords of the time period. I'm not sure exactly how accurate they are, but they are the only replicas I can find available to purchase.

[url:5t8dvohz]http://www.swordsofhonor.com/spla.html[/url]

[hoplite14gr]

Well the hoplites would use something like that.
Kind regards

[Johnny Shumate]

Stefanos,
Do you have any pics of the museum swords..?
Johnny